1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for processing a material which initially is brought from its solid state into a free-flowing state and forthwith introduced into a mould, in which the material is then induced to solidify. Further, the invention relates to moulds for carrying out the method and to articles which are being or have been produced according to the method and/or in such moulds.
2. The Prior Art
Basically, there are four commonly used casting methods, mainly gravity casting methods, i.e. bottom-casting, side-casting, top-casting and tilt-casting, which, although they all have certain advantages when compared in relation to each other, they also all have certain disadvantages.
For example, bottom-casting achieves the most laminar mould filling, but the coldest material during the solidifying process is in the said feeder/riser, i.e. the storage space, from where during solidifying additional material is to be fed so that here topping-up must be ensured by providing larger feeder dimensions.
With side-casting, albeit, the material in the feeder is relatively hot, but mould filling is more turbulent than with bottom-casting.
With top-casting the hottest material is in the feeder or riser so that topping-up is good for a minimum feeder volume, but the quality of the castings deteriorates due to turbulence as a function of the filling height.
With tilt-casting, where again the hottest material is in the feeder, undesired swirls and flow lines appear on the casting surface. The contour of the casting determines the flow direction of the liquid material which, in turn, leads to overheated areas in the mould and thus also in the casting.